- Jun 16, 2018
- 2
- Pool Size
- 16500
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Hi! Long time surfer—I’m so thankful for this resource. I’ve never had to post to find an answer…until today.
TLDR: Location: Florida panhandle. Aluminum coping with integrated track for vinyl liner disintegrated/deteriorated. Vertical mount liner track replacement—PVC or aluminum for saltwater pool? Opinions on cutting/removing the remaining old track? Opinions on caulking between coping and plywood walls before installing new track?
***
I’ve lived in my house for about 10 years, with the first pool I’ve ever had. I “grew up” on TFP. Liquid chlorinated pool converted to saltwater back in 2021. Pool life was great until Feb 2023, when I was manually brushing the walls, when the clasp holding the brush attachment to the metal pole handle sheared, resulting in the brush falling off and the sharp metal pole slicing my liner. Doh! No pool at all last year (had some personal life drama that occupied most of my available financial resources).
Fast forward about a year. Financial situation is improving to the point where I can address the pool (at least on a DIY budget). I have a few things I need to address like the liner replacement and refinishing the fiberglass pool steps (gelcoat cracking/flaking on fiberglass steps). And then I have a desire to install pool lights while I already have much of this torn up. I’d like to do a quality job, preferably the first time. I do embrace DIY projects.
The pool has a tile system at the water line. That 6” system was installed after the old liner was installed. I plan to reinstall this track system after installing the new liner. This does not appear to be “Tru-Tile” from Latham. The tiles are not glued or grouted. The track system (also approximately 6” hard vinyl—think vinyl siding) is screwed through the vinyl liner into the swimming pool wall. Ceramic tiles are then dry fit into the track system’s holding channel. I know the former homeowners (2 homeowners ago). The wife stated that she had had it with UV causing a discolored liner, so she chose the system and a basic white liner. Take that, sun!
I finally removed the old liner this morning. That liner was manufactured in 1998! Granted, the pool is in a screened-in lanai. Still, to last about 25 years--I want that same exact model. Unfortunately, the label/sticker on the deep end of the liner was face down and embedded in the vermiculite. Tiny pieces of sticker rip off every time I try to scrape pull the sticker. No chance getting that off intact to read it. Even if I was successful, the ink likely has already dissolved. The liner was made in Canada (separate, printed vinyl tag).
When I pulled the liner off, I had numerous areas where the aluminum coping (specifically the track for the vinyl liner) has deteriorated/disintegrated. I think this may have been an issue years ago, as some areas of the track appeared to have some kind of glue to keep the liner in place. I’d say that roughly 1/4 of the track has issues that would prohibit reuse.
Also to note, I’ve got treated plywood walls for straight runs and some kind of manufactured segments (fiberglass?) for the rounded corner walls. All plywood seems to be in good shape, though I have not removed the foam yet. Bottom of pool appears to be vermiculite directly on top of soil. The vermiculite appears preformed (straight lines across sections. (Will need to patch and skim coat some areas, but I don’t think the vermiculite is really in all that bad of shape.)
Before I order a replacement liner, I figure that I need to address the track. (Track needs to be in place for liner measurement purposes.)
I found suggestions on using some aftermarket vertical track. I found that Cinderella manufactures an aluminum track: 8' White Aluminum Liner Track | CPVM1C2040. But aluminum has me concerned about potential pitting or deterioration. My pool has rounded corners measured at a 44.5” radius. If my measurements aren’t exact, I’m not sure how much “persuasion” can be applied to aluminum tracks.
Questions:
Matt
TLDR: Location: Florida panhandle. Aluminum coping with integrated track for vinyl liner disintegrated/deteriorated. Vertical mount liner track replacement—PVC or aluminum for saltwater pool? Opinions on cutting/removing the remaining old track? Opinions on caulking between coping and plywood walls before installing new track?
***
I’ve lived in my house for about 10 years, with the first pool I’ve ever had. I “grew up” on TFP. Liquid chlorinated pool converted to saltwater back in 2021. Pool life was great until Feb 2023, when I was manually brushing the walls, when the clasp holding the brush attachment to the metal pole handle sheared, resulting in the brush falling off and the sharp metal pole slicing my liner. Doh! No pool at all last year (had some personal life drama that occupied most of my available financial resources).
Fast forward about a year. Financial situation is improving to the point where I can address the pool (at least on a DIY budget). I have a few things I need to address like the liner replacement and refinishing the fiberglass pool steps (gelcoat cracking/flaking on fiberglass steps). And then I have a desire to install pool lights while I already have much of this torn up. I’d like to do a quality job, preferably the first time. I do embrace DIY projects.
The pool has a tile system at the water line. That 6” system was installed after the old liner was installed. I plan to reinstall this track system after installing the new liner. This does not appear to be “Tru-Tile” from Latham. The tiles are not glued or grouted. The track system (also approximately 6” hard vinyl—think vinyl siding) is screwed through the vinyl liner into the swimming pool wall. Ceramic tiles are then dry fit into the track system’s holding channel. I know the former homeowners (2 homeowners ago). The wife stated that she had had it with UV causing a discolored liner, so she chose the system and a basic white liner. Take that, sun!
I finally removed the old liner this morning. That liner was manufactured in 1998! Granted, the pool is in a screened-in lanai. Still, to last about 25 years--I want that same exact model. Unfortunately, the label/sticker on the deep end of the liner was face down and embedded in the vermiculite. Tiny pieces of sticker rip off every time I try to scrape pull the sticker. No chance getting that off intact to read it. Even if I was successful, the ink likely has already dissolved. The liner was made in Canada (separate, printed vinyl tag).
When I pulled the liner off, I had numerous areas where the aluminum coping (specifically the track for the vinyl liner) has deteriorated/disintegrated. I think this may have been an issue years ago, as some areas of the track appeared to have some kind of glue to keep the liner in place. I’d say that roughly 1/4 of the track has issues that would prohibit reuse.
Also to note, I’ve got treated plywood walls for straight runs and some kind of manufactured segments (fiberglass?) for the rounded corner walls. All plywood seems to be in good shape, though I have not removed the foam yet. Bottom of pool appears to be vermiculite directly on top of soil. The vermiculite appears preformed (straight lines across sections. (Will need to patch and skim coat some areas, but I don’t think the vermiculite is really in all that bad of shape.)
Before I order a replacement liner, I figure that I need to address the track. (Track needs to be in place for liner measurement purposes.)
I found suggestions on using some aftermarket vertical track. I found that Cinderella manufactures an aluminum track: 8' White Aluminum Liner Track | CPVM1C2040. But aluminum has me concerned about potential pitting or deterioration. My pool has rounded corners measured at a 44.5” radius. If my measurements aren’t exact, I’m not sure how much “persuasion” can be applied to aluminum tracks.
Questions:
- Should I be concerned about using aluminum in a saltwater pool? (I haven’t located any existing bonding/magnesium anode setup. Just thinking about this to avoid repeat track failure in the future.)
- Should I alternatively consider PVC tracks? Probably more forgiving in the corners?
- I intend to use a cutting wheel to remove all of the current track so that the new track can be installed butt up against the ‘C’ style coping. The coping/track is one integral piece with poured concrete into the ‘C’. I don’t want to mess with the concrete deck. Does anyone caution against trimming off the remaining track? If so, why?
- After removing the old track, I’d like to caulk the living daylights out of the gap between the plywood walls and ‘C’ style coping. I see lots of ants, spiders, and other tiny bugs running around, and some soil. I did previously have a slight tiny bug problem in the pool, and now I’m wondering if that was a result of organic matter in such close proximity/ready access to the water. Does anyone caution against caulking like this? If so, why?
Matt
To address your initial questions about the shell integrity and tracks, I'm going out on a limb here to tag 
